CULTURE

Footer Column 2

Footer Legal

Footer Main

Nav Bar

OTHER

SPORTS

Subscribe, at any level, to play

Thanks for your interest in Defector Crosswords!

Become a subscriber today to get unlimited access

Thanks for reading!

Plans start at $8/month.

Subscribers enjoy unlimited, ad-free browsing.

Register to continue

Or click here to subscribe for unlimited, ad-free access!

Our gift to you: This year's post is unlocked. Register your email to get even more free articles.

Welcome to the 2025 Hater's Guide!

Just register your email:

This blog is free to read.

This is Defector, a new sports blog and media company. We made this place together, we own it together, we run it together. Without access, without favor, without discretion, and without interference.

Defector

Australian Football

Better Hate An Owner

Bowling

Chess

Climbing

Cricket

Curling

Cycling

Darts

Death To The NCAA

Disc Sports

Gaelic Football

Gambling

Golf

High School Sports

Horse Racing

Hurling

Infinite Replay

Jamboroo

Lacrosse

Olympics

Parasports

Pro Softball

Pro Wrestling

Racing

Rugby

Running

Skateboarding

Soccer

Sports Highlight Of The Day

Tennis

The Fights

The Great Outdoors

Volleyball

Why Your Team Sucks

Wings Week

Sports

Dave McKenna

A Centralian carpet python lies coiled at Sydney Wildlife World on September 11, 2009 which features Australian flora and fauna set amongst natural habitats and eco-systems. The non-venomous Centralian carpet python found only in Australia's Northern Territory, uses its colouring to help it blend in with the red sand and rock found in its usual arid desert habitat. Like other carpet pythons it is mainly nocturnal and feeds on small mammals, birds and reptiles. AFP PHOTO / Greg WOOD (Photo credit should read GREG WOOD/AFP via Getty Images)

Life's Rich Pageant

Death Of A Snake Salesman

Barry Petchesky

UNIONDALE, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 22: Jack Eichel #9 of the Buffalo Sabres prepares to skates against the New York Islanders at the Nassau Coliseum on February 22, 2021 in Uniondale, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Nothing Good Can Last, Not In Buffalo

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Nathan MacKinnon #29 of the Colorado Avalanche warms up before a game against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on May 10, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Avalanche defeated the Golden Knights 2-1.

Nathan MacKinnon Announces That He Is Normal, Regular Guy

Lauren Theisen

The Hurricanes Try To Save Their Summer With Petty Spite


<p>Diana Moskovitz is Defector&#8217;s investigations editor. You can contact her at diana@defector.com or dfmoskovitz@protonmail.com. She&#8217;s also on Signal @dmoskovitz.99</p>


Diana Moskovitz

Trevor Bauer of the Los Angeles Dodgers winds up to pitch during the first inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on May 26, 2021 in Houston, Texas.

League Anti-Violence Policies Are Just A Smokescreen For Owners

TORONTO, ONTARIO - AUGUST 01: Henrik Lundqvist #30 of the New York Rangers prepares to start in the nets against the Carolina Hurricanes in Game One of the Eastern Conference Qualification Round prior to the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on August 1, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Getty Images)

We Didn’t Deserve Henrik Lundqvist

Ray Ratto

MONTREAL, QC - MAY 03: Joe Thornton #97 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates against the Montreal Canadiens during the third period at the Bell Centre on May 3, 2021 in Montreal, Canada. The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 in overtime. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

Will Someone Just Get Joe Thornton A Cup Already

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA - JUNE 04: A limited number of fans cheer as the Winnipeg Jets face off against the Montreal Canadiens to start Game Two of the Second Round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs on June 4, 2021 at Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Photo by Jason Halstead/Getty Images)

COVID Is The Stick And Sports Are A Carrot

All Of A Sudden, The Devils Seem Cool As Hell

The Hurricanes Took A Turn For The Worse Real Fast

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 22: Marc-Andre Fleury #29 of the Vegas Golden Knights is introduced before Game Five of the Stanley Cup Semifinals during the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Montreal Canadiens at T-Mobile Arena on June 22, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Canadiens defeated the Golden Knights 4-1. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

This Marc-André Fleury “Trade” Stinks

Just Pick Someone Else

Alex Nedeljkovic #39 of the Carolina Hurricanes looks on during the second period in Game Five of the Second Round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Tampa Bay Lightning at PNC Arena on June 08, 2021 in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Ned Alert! An Emergency Red Wings Post-Trade Blog/Celebration

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 21: The Seattle Kracken draft picks (L-R) Jordan Eberle, Chris Driedger, Chris Tanev, Jamie Oleksiak, Haydn Fleury and Mark Giordano following the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft at Gas Works Park on July 21, 2021 in Seattle, Washington. The Seattle Kraken is the National Hockey League's newest franchise and will begin play in October 2021. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

The Kraken Passed The Marshmallow Test

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 23: A general view of the Space Needle as the Seattle Kraken team flag is hung from above on July 23, 2020 in Seattle, Washington. The NHL revealed the franchise's new team name today. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

The Seattle Kraken Can Win Right Away, But At What Price?

Kelsey McKinney

An image of Gritty in the dark looking vaguely strange and scary, if you did not know it was Gritty.

Imagine You Are Camping And Encounter This

The Minnesota Wild: It Seems Bad!

The Senators And Pierre McGuire Deserve Each Other

So Are The Canadiens Good Or What


<p>Richard Marx has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide over the course of his career. He is the only male artist whose first seven singles reached the Top 5 on the Billboard charts, and he has written on a number one single in each of the last four decades—an accolade previously only reached by Michael Jackson. He won a 2004 Song of the Year Grammy and has scored fourteen number-one singles, both as a performer and as a songwriter/producer. He is also a committed philanthropist, supporting charitable causes such as the American Cancer Society and the Ronald McDonald House Charities, Mercy For Animals, ASPCA, Humane Society, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and the charity closest to his heart, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. He lives in Malibu, California, with his wife, Daisy Fuentes.</p>


Richard Marx

Book Excerpts That Don't Suck

Not Even Richard Marx Gets The Girl When The Other Guy Is The Great One

TAMPA, FLORIDA - JULY 07: The Tampa Bay Lightning celebrate after defeating the Montreal Canadiens 1-0 in Game Five to win the 2021 NHL Stanley Cup Final at Amalie Arena on July 07, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

This Shit Is Hard

The Lightning Are As Perfect As Any NHL Team Can Be

MONTREAL, QUEBEC - JULY 05: Josh Anderson #17 of the Montreal Canadiens celebrates with Jeff Petry #26 after scoring the game-winning goal to give his team the 3-2 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first overtime period in Game Four of the 2021 NHL Stanley Cup Final at the Bell Centre on July 05, 2021 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images)

The Canadiens Deserved That

Felix Kent

TORONTO, ON - APRIL 7: Mitchell Marner #16 of the Toronto Maple Leafs waits for a faceoff against the Montreal Canadiens during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on April 7, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Canadiens 3-2. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Mitchell Marner

The Salary Cap Is A Psyop

TAMPA, FLORIDA - JUNE 30: Blake Coleman #20 of the Tampa Bay Lightning scores against Carey Price #31 of the Montreal Canadiens during the second period in Game Two of the 2021 NHL Stanley Cup Final at Amalie Arena on June 30, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The Margin Of Error Against The Lightning Is 1.1 Seconds